a gradual change in some operating characteristic of a circuit, tube, or other electronic device, either during a brief period as an effect of warming up or during a long period as an effect of continued use.

the movement of charge carriers in a semiconductor due to the influence of an applied voltage.

16.

Linguistics. gradual change in the structure of a language.

17.

Machinery.

Also called driftpin. a round, tapering piece of steel for enlarging holes in metal, or for bringing holes in line to receive rivets or bolts.

a flat, tapered piece of steel used to drive tools with tapered shanks, as drill bits, from their holders.

18.

Civil Engineering. a secondary tunnel between two main tunnels or shafts.

19.

Mining. an approximately horizontal passageway in underground mining.

20.

Physics. the movement of charged particles under the influence of an electric field.

21.

Aerospace. the gradual deviation of a rocket or guided missile from its intended trajectory.

22.

Mechanics. displacement of the gimbals of a gyroscope due to friction on bearings, unbalance of the gyroscope's mass or other imperfections.

23.

the thrust of an arched structure.

24.

Dentistry. a shift of the teeth from their normal position in the dental arch.

25.

Western U.S. a flock of animals or birds.

verb (used without object)

26.

to be carried along by currents of water or air, or by the force of circumstances.

c.1300, literally "a being driven" (of snow, etc.); not recorded in Old English; either a suffixed form of drive (v.) (cf. thrift/thrive) or borrowed from Old Norse drift "snow drift," or Middle Dutch drift "pasturage, drove, flock," both from Proto-Germanic *driftiz (cf. Danish and Swedish drift, German Trift), from PIE root *dhreibh- "to drive, push" (see drive (v.)). Sense of "what one is getting at" is from 1520s. Meaning "controlled slide of a sports car" attested by 1955.

v.

late 16c., from drift (n.). Figurative sense of "be passive and listless" is from 1822. Related: Drifted; drifting.